The Best States to Buy Mobile Home Parks in 2026

Where to Find Sustained Growth with the Lowest Risk

The best states to buy mobile home parks in 2026 are going to be where sustained growth is occurring and where you have the lowest amount of risk. Simple as that.

But what does ‘lowest risk’ actually mean? We’re talking about natural disasters, eviction risk with legal stuff. If people don’t pay you, you want to be able to move on, get them out, and get residents paying in. And then there’s what I call a market pull, where the market is growing and there’s so much need for housing that it just does a lot of the work for you and creates momentum.

Let me break down my top markets and, more importantly, the specific risks you need to understand in each one.

#1: Phoenix, Arizona—My Top Pick

Phoenix is my number one market right now. If you can find the properties in your niche and you can get good, clean underwriting without having to use too much on the projection side, Phoenix is where you want to be.

And here’s why that projection piece matters: projecting right now where rents are going to go is just like projecting where stocks are going to go. You don’t really know. It’s speculation.

What I love about Phoenix: Property tax and insurance are really stable right now.

Those are the big ones that everyone’s fighting nationwide, property taxes, and insurance. In Phoenix, they’re both manageable and predictable. That’s where Phoenix gets a star. When you can actually underwrite your operating expenses with confidence, that’s huge.

#2: Texas—Amazing Growth, But Watch the Expenses

Then you go to Texas. Texas is amazing for growth. DFW is growing. Houston’s growing. Austin and the surrounding suburbs are growing. The market pull is undeniable.

But—and this is a big but—insurance and property taxes are tough.

Insurance in Texas

Insurance is more expensive in Texas. They had those crazy frozen winters a couple years ago. Then they had some tornadoes. And the losses that occurred on those events, plus the fires, have been blended across the risk profile. So insurance is really expensive now.

Property Taxes in Texas—The Wild West

Property taxes in Texas are truly the Wild West. You need to really understand the risk factors here because it can bite you hard.

Here’s what happens: You’re probably going to end up going to the property tax rate of that district, which can be huge. You might have a really low property tax bill when you buy the property. Then a year later, they’ll throw you a 3x, 4x, or even 5x increase on the tax bill.

Then you have to go through a process to fight that back to what would be like a current appraised value. It’s doable, but you need to know it’s coming and budget for it. If you’re not prepared for that property tax spike, it can wreck your cash flow projections.

#3: The Carolinas—Growth with Some Complexity

Then you jump to South Carolina and North Carolina. Great markets, but they each have their quirks.

South Carolina

South Carolina mirrors Texas a little bit on the commercial real estate operational front. It’s a little bit tricky. Same thing with insurance. You have different risk factors there. There are tornadoes, there are hurricanes, different dynamics depending on where you’re at in the state.

North Carolina

North Carolina is a little bit better from what I’ve heard on the property tax side. It’s more consistent. It’s not a non-disclosure state, so you can kind of plan for how much it’s going up.

Insurance is probably about in the same ballpark as Texas and South Carolina, but still reasonable. You can kind of plan for all of the weather dynamics there. It’s manageable if you know what you’re getting into.

#4: Central Florida—Stay Away from the Coast

And then there’s Central Florida. Now, Florida got just hammered in the last few years from storms. But more importantly, from what they call storm surge.

Storm surge is where the water level actually comes up because of the water driving the tides from the storms. This is what really gets you. It’s not just the wind damage, it’s the flooding.

I have personally had friends lose entire holdings. Like, thousands of units. Hundreds of units. They went completely underwater, literally and financially.

I’m completely redlining my pursuit of anything coastal Florida, or other coastal markets that touch the water.

Any of those coastal markets, it just gets so tricky with weather. And in the end, I’m in this for making a living and money. I’m not really in it for speculation. With those risk factors, we’re going to stick to Central Florida.

Where in Florida We’re Looking

Orlando and the corridor maybe to the south of Orlando, and then on up that main corridor from Orlando north. That’s our market consideration. We’re starting to really go in there.

You can underwrite the risk from an insurance perspective in Central Florida. And property tax is typically something you’re planning for. It’s just like California, when you buy the property, you pay a certain amount for the purchase price, and the tax is automatically calculated at closing. It’s really simple.

So Central Florida works if you stay inland and away from that coastal storm surge risk.

The Key Takeaway: Know Your Operating Expense Risks

Here’s what I really want you to understand: every market has growth potential. But the differentiator is understanding your operating expense risks, specifically property taxes and insurance.

Phoenix wins because both are stable and predictable. You can underwrite with confidence.

Texas has incredible growth, but you need to budget for expensive insurance and be ready to fight property tax reassessments that could be 3-5x your purchase price basis.

The Carolinas are solid, with North Carolina being a bit more predictable on property taxes. Insurance is manageable if you account for hurricane and tornado risk.

Central Florida works if you stay inland. Coastal Florida is off the table because of storm surge. I’ve seen too many people lose everything.

Don’t Speculate on Rent Growth

One more critical point: right now, projecting where rents are going to go is speculation. It’s like projecting stock prices. You just don’t know.

So when you’re underwriting deals in 2026, focus on markets where you can get clean numbers without having to rely heavily on aggressive rent growth projections. Buy properties that work with current rents, and if rents go up, great. But don’t bet your whole deal on it.

That’s why Phoenix is so attractive right now. The fundamentals are strong without needing to speculate.

My Market Ranking for 2026

If I’m ranking these markets for 2026, here’s my order:

1. Phoenix, Arizona — Stable taxes and insurance, strong growth, clean underwriting

2. Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas — Incredible growth, but budget for insurance costs and property tax fights

3. North Carolina — More predictable property taxes, manageable insurance

4. South Carolina — Good growth, slightly trickier on taxes and insurance

5. Central Florida (Orlando corridor) — Good fundamentals if you stay inland

Red Flag: Coastal Florida and coastal markets anywhere — Storm surge risk is too high

Final Thoughts

These are the main states I would be focusing on in 2026 and the reasons why. Growth is important, but predictable operating expenses are just as important, maybe more important in the current environment.

Do your homework on property taxes and insurance in whatever market you’re looking at. Talk to local operators. Understand the reassessment process. Get real insurance quotes, not just guesses.

And remember: I’m in this to make a living and build wealth, not to speculate on weather patterns or hope that rent growth bails out a marginal deal. Stick to markets where the fundamentals work today, and you’ll be set up for success no matter what happens tomorrow.

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Disclaimer: This article reflects personal experience and opinions based on current market conditions as of 2026. Market conditions, tax laws, and insurance rates can change. This is not financial, tax, legal, or investment advice. Always conduct thorough due diligence and consult with qualified professionals before making investment decisions.